Wire-fence stretcher.



W. HOPPER.

WIRE FENCE STRETGHER. APBLIOATION FILED AUG.18, 1908.

Ptented Feb. 23, 1909.

ATTORNEYS W/TNESSES wmn FENcE s'rnnrcm n.

jnoi elaasa.

Toall ivkom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HOPPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of ,Jefl'erson, in. the county of Greene and State. of Iowa, have invented a new and Im proved Wire-Fence Stretcher, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact descripme-ns in devices for stretching wire fencing while the latter 1s being secured to the fence posts,,'and relates more particularly to the mechanism for engaging with one of the posts-and with a clamp secured to the fence for stretching the latter.

The object of the invention is to provide a reel-supporting mechanism, which Wlll engage, witlhany fence post and which may be folded and readily transported in a collapsed or knockdown form.

' This application is a division of my former application, Serial Number i11,639, filedJanuary 20,1908, in which application the" clamping mechanism is claimed.

. ing drawings, formmg a part of this speci- Reference is to be had to the accompanyfication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures, and in wh1ch,

Figure 1 1s a perspective v ew of a construction embodying my 1nvent1on; Fig. 2

is a vertical'section showing in detail the upper reel support, said section bein taken on the line 22 of F ig.- 3; and Fi 3 1s a top plan view of the parts shown in *ig. 2.

In the specific construction of reel-supporting mechanism illustrated, I provide upper and lower substantially horizontal supports 10 and 11, each in the form of a board and each having one end thereof adapted to engage with a fence post 12. The lower support ll-is adapted to lie directly upon the ground and carries a transverse member 13 secured thereto'at substantially right angles and also adapted to lie adjacent the ground. Beneath the ends of the transverse 'member 13, there may be pro-' vided blocks 14:, of a thickness emial to the thickness of the support 11, so that the support 11 and the transverse member 13 may constitute a firm base. The upper horizontal s'upport10 is substantially parallel to the Specification of Letters Patent. ofigimi application filed January 20, 1908, SerialfNo. 411,639. Divided and this applic'ation'filed August 18, 1908. Serial No.

Patented Feb. as, 1909;,

posed shaft 16, constituting a reel upon nnrrnn s'rarns PATENT anion-g.

1 WILLIAM norrsn, or JEFFERSON, owa.

which the ,chain, cord, or cable 17, leading from the clamp may be wound. The lower end of the shaft or reel fits within a socket 18 carried by the transverse member 13 intermediate its ends, and the upper end of i the shaft fits within a socket or recess 19 in the end of the upper member 10. The shaft r reel may be provided with any suitable mechanism for rotating the same, as, for in:

stance, oppositely extending handles 20 at the upper end.. For supporting the outer end of the up er section 10, I provide oppositely-disposec braces 21, preferably formed from a single rod, and each having its lower end bent at an angle to constitute a' hook,

and inserted through a corresponding eye or loop 22 carried by the transverse member 13 ad acent its ends. The rod at its central portion 23 which constitutes the upper ends for both braces, is pivoted to the undersur;

face of the support 10. Any suitable pivoting means maybe employed, but I have illustrated a forked cleat 24, adapted to receive thecentral portion 23 of the rod between said cleat and the under surface of the 1 provided with a slidable section 10*, which may In; rigidly secured to themain body of' the member by bolts 25 extending through a slot 26. By loosening tlie'bolts,'the total length of the complete upper member may be increased or decreased. For preventing lateral movement of the outer end of the support 11 and -the transverse member 13, any suitable fastening means may be provided, as, for instance, a pivoted loop 27, adapted to engage around a peg or stake 28. In connection w1th this means for applying tension tothe chain, cord or cable 17, I may provide abrace comprisingmechanism.

which includes a diagonal bar 29 having its upper end adapted to engage with the'post adjacent the top thereof and having, its lower end adaptedto engage with a cleat 30 on a base-board 31.- In applying the bracing means, the base-board 31 is placed in position at a short distance from the post, and

the Brace 29 placed with one end against the cleat 30 and the other end against the post. A rope, chain or cable 32 is then secured to one endof the cleat 30, passed around the base of the post and secured'to theepposite The inclined bar or end .of said-oleat. brace 29 may be pressed down at its upper end until thecable is as taut as possible.

ism shown is th'a'tillustrated and'described in detail in the previous application referred to above, and a detail description in this application is therefore thought to be unneces sary. I It may be briefly stated that the clamping mechanism includes two cl-wiping Members 33 and 34, which are forced into engagement with ei'ich other by the lateral movel'nent of a bar 35 against lever arins 36. The rertical ba, r 35 is moved laterally the tightening-of the cable 17.

having thus descrlbed my invention, I ciaim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent: v 1. A tension-applying means forfence :stretchers, including a horizontal support having one end'adapted to engage with the base of'a, fence post, and a transverse member' extending at substantially right angles thereto, an upper support substantially parallel to the plane of said base and having one end-adapted to engage With a fence post, a post pivotally secured to the under side of the upper support and adapted to en= gage with said first-mentioned support, and a vertically-disposed reel or shaft carried by said supports. I V

2. A tension-applyingmeans for fence stretchers, including a horizontal support having one end adapted to engage with the baseof a fence post, an upper support substantially parallel to said first-mentioned support and having-one end adapted to en- With the fence post, a post pivotally secured o the underside the upper support end adapted to engage with the firstmentioned support, a vertically-disposed reel or carried by the upper support for varying the distance between theupper end of said reel and said fence post s 3. A tension-applying 'nieans for fence stretchers, including a horizontal lower support having-one end adapted to engage with the base of n fence post, .a transverse member extending at right angles thereto, an upper support substantially parallel to said lower support and baring one end adapted to engage with the fence post, braces pivotnlly secured to saidupper support adjacentits outer end and detachaibly secured to the outer ends of said transverse ineinber, means intermediate said supports adjacent the fence post for spacing them apart, and a verti Cally disposed reel or shaft adjacent the outer ends of said supports.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrihin v witnesses.

lVlLLIAM HOPPER.

lVitnesses' A S. GILLILAND, P. M, JAOKSOIL shaft carried'by se'id supports and means 

